No. 5: Claudia Zacchara, General Hospital

Daytime television has been full of dangerous women practically since the invention of the soap opera. Perhaps the most lethal of all female soap characters is the lady gangster. Mobbed up femme fatales, like the late Claudia Zacchara (Sarah Brown) on General Hospital, aren't afraid to be just as ruthless and unhinged as their male counterparts to get what they want — and they want everything!

Ms. Z and her adopted brother/bio son Johnny (Brandon Barash) thought they were so clever, when they put a hit out on Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard). Claudia barely lost a night's sleep, when her gunman took down Sonny's little boy, Michael (then Dylan Cash), instead.

Claudia eventually married Sonny, combining their rival mafia families. The naughty nuptials didn't make the sociopathic brunette feel any more secure. In fact, she went so bonkers, she tried to kidnap Josslyn, the daughter of Sonny's ex-wife Carly Corinthos-Jacks (Laura Wright)! Good thing a rapidly-aged Michael (then Drew Garrett) knew how to swing an axe handle by that point.

Is All My Children's Jill Larson making the move to L.A.? According to TV Guide Canada'sSuds Report she won't be. Meanwhile, could Marj Dusay be returning to Pine Valley?

Alexandra Spaulding who? Insiders are buzzing that the show is in talks with Marj Dusay to return as Vanessa. Also, according to sources close to Rebecca Budig, the actress has not been asked to return to the show once the sudser makes the move out west. Finally, Suds is hearing Jill Larson will not be continuing her Emmy-nominated role as Opal. “No one on recurring is invited unless it’s a small cameo role,” says a mole. As for Larson, she has been heard saying she would agree to visit Pine Valley whenever they needed her in any capacity.

The third in a highly personal, non-objective series highlighting various aspects of the last episodes of Guiding Light, which will end its 72 year run on September 18th.

The third from the last episode of Guiding Light was all about reactions and coming to grips with the demise of Alan Spaulding, mirroring the mixed emotions of the show's fans as the series takes its final bows.

As news of Alan Spaulding's (Ron Raines) death rippled through town, we were treated to one of the most honest portrayals of how people react in such circumstances as has ever been seen on daytime. Over the last 30 years, Alan had committed any number of heinous crimes against most of the citizens of Springfield and yet his passing left many stunned (Ashlee, Blake, Reva, Jonathan, Frank), some confused (grandson Rafe), and others shocked & saddened (Lillian, Buzz).

One of the hardest tasks in all of television must be bringing a daytime drama to a close. In other realms of entertainment, plays and musicals can be resurrected through countless revivals. Primetime TV shows can come and go, yet have the potential to be re-imagined or rebooted for the small or big screen. The biggest box office disasters can live on via countless direct-to-DVD sequels. Radio hosts and their dubiously talented sidekicks can be fired for the most hateful commentary, yet live on with the same formats other stations to be spiteful for another day.

With the exception of Dark Shadows, once a soap opera is canceled it is gone forever. During my time I've watched some of my favorites disappear: The City, Port Charles, Generations, Texas, and — in my opinion — two of the genre's titans, Santa Barbara and The Edge of Night. Many of you are still missing your own beloved shows over the last three decades as well. Fans of Capitol, Love of Life, Sunset Beach, Passions, Search for Tomorrow, and the still mourned Another World among others express their loss as if there yet remains a certain kind of grief that has not yet abated after all these years. Soon we will lose another giant among soaps: in less than ten short weeks, Guiding Light will shine for the last time on CBS.

* They should get Elaine Princi again.
* AW and AMC's Anna Stuart would work in a pinch.
* Victoria Wyndham replaced her to great success on AW, maybe it could work again?
* GL's Marj Dusay will soon be out of a job.
* Deborah Adair (ex-Jill, Y&R; ex-Kate, DAYS) could do it.
* If we're talking ex-Jill's why not Camp Queen Brenda Dickson?
* I always did want to see what Knots Landing's Donna Mills looked like as a brunette...
* Raquel Welch anyone?
* No one. Absolutely no one can play Dorian like Strasser and if she leaves I will stop watching OLTL!

Guiding Light's Marj Dusay reminisces about Alexandra and her favorite scenes and storylines with Michael Zaslow at CBS.com.

CBS.COM: Do you have a favorite memory?MARJ DUSAY: One of the most favorite things was with Michael Zaslow (ex-Roger). We had a scene together and I slapped him and during the rehearsal I said, ‘Why don't you just slap me back?’ It was a hit because how dare a man slap a woman, it never really happened so to have him do that it really brought [audiences] to a halt.

She'd been teased and mocked for years, no more so than in her competition with other, younger and, some would say, prettier hopefuls. Her appearance had been derided as "downmarket." She obviously couldn't afford fancy stylists and didn't have the finesse of her peers, but when she revealed the depths of her talents she left viewers and critics quaking in their boots.

I'm not talking about Susan Boyle, the YouTube and Britain's Got Talent overnight sensation. I'm talking about the magnificent week of high octane, balls to the wall drama that has been Guiding Light.

I'm glad I waited before posting anything about the extraordinary week that has transpired on GL as the Olivia/Natalia love story played out before my astonished eyes. Temptation tested me in the aftermath of Olivia's shattering graveyard soliloqy to her heart donor Gus and, later, her heartstopping confession of love to Natalia, in what is quite possibly destined to become remembered as one of the greatest performances in daytime of the last decade. My fingers fidgeted over my keyboard during one of the most gloriously tortured daytime weddings in recent memory. My mind raced with superlatives about Natalia's struggle at the altar and her tearful confession of love for Olivia mixed with guilt about Frank. While the week belonged to Otalia (which I will get to in a moment), the entire show was, to borrow a phrase, a towering inferno of greatness. Let us count the ways:

Latest Photos

Daytime fans cheered with pride on social media last Sunday night as one of our own received acting’s highest honor. Former As the World Turns star Julianne Moore won the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of an Alzheimer’s suffer in Still Alice.

Devon (Bryton James) and Hilary (Mishael Morgan) have been sneaking around on Neil (Kristoff St. John) for months as he struggled with blindness. I’m sure Neil dreamed of regaining his sight, but I’m also positive he never expected to get such an eye full when he did.

Latest Interview

The Abbott Cabin Crew could use an assist from Annalise Keating from How To Get Away With Murder. I caught up with Camryn Grimes (Mariah) to dish the murder of Austin Travers and subsequent cover-up on The Young and the Restless.